World Cup round of 32 foes Spain and Austria have crossed paths only rarely since the turn of the century, meeting just three times. Spain has dominated two of those encounters, winning 5-1 in 2009 and 4-0 in 2001, while the other ended in a 1-1 draw.
This summer, however, Spain has not quite been at the races. It beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 in the group stage, but was held by Cabo Verde and narrowly scraped past a struggling Uruguay side. Spain continues to control games, averaging 62% possession—the highest in the tournament—but its 9% shot conversion rate highlights clear wastefulness in front of goal.
Austria, meanwhile, has been inconsistent with one win, one draw and one loss, but has outperformed expectations in attack, scoring six goals to Spain’s five. Its 23% conversion rate is significantly higher despite averaging just 44% possession.
If Spain does not sharpen up in front of goal, Austria has shown it is capable of punishing it.
